Role of Biotechnology in Meteorology/Climate Change

Find out how biotechnology can be helpful in predicting climate change.

ClimateRole of Biotechnology in Climate Prediction

One of the major challenges in front of the human is to predict the climate change which can be to predict the rainfall, wind and sunlight pattern in an area or it can be to predict the change in climate due to various human and global warming activities. This is an interesting and immensely challenging field, where an error can cost up to billions and trillions of dollar. While a correct prediction can save an equal amount. Several nations around the world, especially, developing countries are focusing on this field as they want to align there developmental activities keeping climate change in mind while simultaneously verifying the theories of the developed world.

They are mainly targeting the engineers or specialist from the field of environment, chemistry, physics, mechanical and civil. However, bio-technologists are completely ignored completely. It is important to remember that before the existence of the field of meteorology, the people were dependent on the nature to pick the sings of change which can be linked to change in climate. For example, change in leaf color on certain trees was attributed to the change in seasons. Increase or decrease in a particular plant or animal species was attributed to the climate change. For example, migratory animals are the good signals to predict the possible change in climate. However, some of the major shortcomings are:

1) They do not give results when we want.

2) The results from such methods are difficult to control.

3) The predictions are given at the short term basis.

4) They are majorly helpful in predicting the local change rather than the global change.

Despite these shortcomings, one thing is clear that the nature (especially, living system) do give signals of change in climate. Now, the biotechnology can be helpful in tapping those signals in more controlled way. This can help us in giving results which are easy to understand, available at our discretion, long term effects and global impact. Secondly, it is important to have biotechnologist in the team, since many biotechnology applications are coming in the market (like GM crops, Biofuels, Biological Exhaust Gas Purification Technology), which can change the climate either in a positive or a negative way. This effect can be properly understood and inserted in a prediction model only with the help of biotechnologist who can understand these products. Hence, it is impossible to exclude biotechnologist from the team of climate predictors.